Friday, November 13, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Brad Dubbelman.
Making headlines:
South African President Jacob Zuma's three-day meeting with trade union and communist allies beginning today, may produce more rhetoric than substance, despite the left's push to shift economic policy to the left.
Zuma's ruling African National Congress has said that it will not cave in to pressure from the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party to boost government spending.
Zuma is no longer as dependent on the unions and the communists who helped his rise. During this weekend's meeting, their first such gathering since the April election, the President should not have to take calls for a leftist policy shift as seriously.
Analysts say, however, that he is unlikely to merely rebuff their concerns and may recommit to debate, thus quietening the most vocal figures.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has drafted a business plan for climate change in Africa, with an implementation cost of about $5-billion.
In keeping with the second Africa Water Week's emphasis on implementation and partnerships, AfDB chief water resources engineer Dr Heshman Candil said that the AfDB will finance between 30% and 40% of the required funds, but will require collaboration with other cofinancing partners and governments.
The main areas of focus of the business plan are agricultural water development and water storage enhancement. While mobilising additional resources, the AfDB plans to kick-start further implementation of its business plan by spending $135-million for the first four years on its Climate for Development in Africa Programme.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said that it is unavoidable that civilians will die in the crossfire between police and criminals, as government vows to change the law to encourage police to use lethal force when necessary. Innocent people will be "caught on the wrong side, not deliberately, but unavoidably," he said.
There has always been collateral damage in the fight against crime, said Mbalula, adding that a recent spate of civilian deaths at the hands of the police could not be blamed on the ministry's call for law enforcers to return fire when confronted with dangerous criminals.
Answering questions in the National Assembly, President Jacob Zuma said that the violent nature of crime in South Africa makes it imperative to modify the law to give police greater clarity on when they can shoot to kill. Zuma explained that the government plans to "expedite" changes to Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act in a bid to "limit the number of police killed by criminals".

Also making headlines:
Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan wants former chairperson of the Eskom board Bobby Godsell to reconsider his resignation.
The United Nations says that an ethnic land dispute lies behind civilian killings by Democratic Republic of Congo armed forces.
President Jacob Zuma approves a 7% salary increase for public office bearers.
And, New Partnership for Africa's Development CEO Dr Ibrahim Mayaki says that Africa's energy problems threaten the continent's economic growth.
That's a roundup of news making headlines today.